ToTR: I Never Run Without...

Welcome to another edition of Tuesdays on the Run hosted by the lovely ladies, Erika, Patty and April! This week we are talking what we absolutely cannot ever run without!

There's probably only one thing (outside of SHOES of course) that I never run without and that is my phone. I know there are a lot of mixed opinions about this one and many people can't stand running with their phone and never do...and I totally get that! It's great to unplug and it's wonderful when we can get out for a run without having to worry about phone calls or text messages or that constant need to be in contact. I sometimes wonder what we ever did before cell phones because, honestly, they have become so ingrained in our lives now.

But the reason I can't run without my phone isn't because I can't live without it for even a few minutes, it's because I want to be able to make a call if I have an emergency! In this day and age when cell phones do exist and are easily portable, it just seems silly to go out on my own without it.

What if I was hit by a car or was feeling like I might pass out or twisted an ankle? There's so many things that could go wrong that might be easily remedied by making a simple phone call. But if I didn't have my phone with me I would have to depend on first, someone else knowing there was a problem, and second, them making the call that needs to be made. I'd rather not have to depend on those two conditions because we all know that for the most part other people outside of our "bubble" are invisible.

I'm often reminded of the story a few years back about the runner that left for his jog and went missing. It took them days to find him. His autopsy revealed that he most likely died from a heart defect, but I can never help but wonder if he had his cell phone with him if they might have been able to save him. We will never know, but I also don't want to find out the hard way if something like that happens to me. I want to be able to hit 9-1-1 if I'm physically able to.

Another reason I run with my phone is because of the Road ID app. If Chad Rogers had the app installed on his phone and was using it, they would have been able to find him much quicker as it has the emergency alert feature that will call your emergency contacts that you have designated and sound an alarm if you haven't moved in five minutes. Great if you pass out like Chad did, so even if you can't physically dial 9-1-1 yourself, the app will send an alert for you, along with your eCrumbs that you have left while using the GPS feature.

Honestly, I think that this app is something that EVERY runner and cyclist should be using. I know you don't want to drag your phone around, but think about that one time that you might really, really need it. Wouldn't you want your family to know that even if you couldn't call for help, they could by receiving a notification that you might be in distress? I know I do...

There are lots of things I like to run WITH, like Vinnie (my Garmin 220), or my handheld Nathan water bottle, or my Jaybird Freedom wireless headphones. Those are all great. But the one thing I NEVER run without, is my phone. It's like the saying goes - I'd rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. 

Your turn - what's something you would never run (or bike, or walk, or raft, or kayak, or SUP or whatever...) without?